(Words in bold are defined at the end. For any questions about this, email su-transgender@bath.ac.uk)
Our stance
Key points:
- Trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary people do not owe anyone androgyny.
- Trans people do not have to "pass" to be valid.
- Trans people do not have to have gender dysphoria. Living in a different gender because it makes you feel good is absolutely fine!
- Trans and intersex people have always (and will always) exist.
- It is okay to be unsure, and it is okay to not have a fixed label for your gender identity.
As a society, we want people with any gender identity or gender modality to have an equally good experience at university. Nobody should be harrassed because of their gender presentation.
If you have a problem or suggestion regarding gender inclusion, email us at lgbt@bath.ac.uk or su-transgender@bath.ac.uk and let us know. We take this seriously, and want you to get in contact - your ideas can help us make this university a better place.
What we do about it:
Gender (identity) inclusion
We do not run exclusively single-sex socials or events. Gender neutral facilities will be present at every venue we host an event.
A few of our events and topics may appeal to some genders more than others, but everyone is welcome for respectful participation.
Harrassment is an issue faced by many people who present femininely and/or in a gender non-conforming manner. We encourage any members affected by harrasment in the university to tell support and report or university security.
Trans+ inclusion
Due to barriers faced by the Trans+ community, we make active efforts to ensure trans+ students are safe and welcome at our events. Our committee is deeply committed to campaigning for positive change both in and out of the university.
The university policy has strong protections for Trans+ students, and we work alongside staff to keep it that way. Trans+ students are currently able to use whichever facilities match their gender identity, and get library cards with their preferred name and pronouns for free.
T-Time (weekly support group)
T-Time is a weekly meeting providing a safe space for students that do not identify as cis (or are unsure of their gender identity). You won't be forced to share anything, but you are more than welcome to participate and ask questions or talk about your experiences. It is a good opportunity to get in touch with a lovely community and hear pepole with shared experiences.
T-time meetings involve:
- A warmup topic (e.g. What is something that helps ground you?),
- A main topic (e.g. What does "gender" mean to you?),
- Supportive sharing (a discussion/sharing oppourtunity),
- A low-pressure cooldown game to reduce stress.
There will be a student facilitator to keep T-time calm and trigger free, allowing people to be heard. We try to rotate facilitators to better represent Transmasculine/POC perspectives.
We will try to be in the same place and time every week (even weeks may have a different time). Exact time and place will be announced to all members of this society via a weekly email.
If there are any issues with the way T-time is run, tell us at su-transgender@bath.ac.uk. No issue is too small to talk to us about.
Gender Expression Fund (£50 per trans+ student)
A couple of years ago, we set up a fund for trans+ students to reduce the financial barriers to transitioning. You can apply for gender affirming stuff; anything from a binder to a haircut! The trans representative (or another trans+ member of committee) is in charge of helping students access these funds. This is a trust-based scheme, and we don't require evidence of finances.
In future, we will provide a link here for the GEF signup form. Until then, contact su-transgender@bath.ac.uk for help.
Things to be aware of
- It may take up to 28 days to complete the whole process. We are only human, and can't speed up some things (like postage). If it's likely to take longer than this, we will let you know.
- if you are asking the SU for a reimbursement, please claim it within the financial year. You will need to fill in a yellow expense form and provide a receipt as proof of purchase.
You can talk to our staff contact at The SU by emailing su-gef@bath.ac.uk, but emailing su-transgender@bath.ac.uk will probably be easier. We can then help you with any questions.
Step 1: Submit your application
Firstly, let us know what you'd like us to order for you! You can do this by filling by speaking with one of our trans, nonbinary or gender non-conforming committee members through our trans mailbox. Depending on the time of year and our capacity, we can try to find a time to meet with you to help you fill out the form.
Step 2: We will work to process and place your order
Once the form is complete and we've been in touch to find out any missing information, we will double check that:
- We have enough money left
- You're not over the £50 limit
- Your item is covered by the GEF
After that, we will grant your request, usually by ordering the item to the SU.
Step 3: We will be in touch to let you know that your order has arrived
Step 4: Collect your item(s)!
Usually, collection is from The SU, either by you or by our Trans Rep/Chair who will arrange a pick up point for collection.
- Binders
- Clothing
- Cosmetics (such as makeup, perfume, aftershave)
- Lingerie
- Minor Cosmetic Procedures (such as haricuts)
- Packer/StP device
- Procedural Documents (such as ID updates)
- Tucking underwear/gaffs
- Wigs
- Medication
- Surgery
- Fundraisers
Definitions
Trans (as in trans woman/trans man):
"Trans" is a shortening of "transgender". It usually describes a person that currently is a different gender to the one they grew up as. For example, a trans woman may refer to someone that grew up male or non-binary but is now a woman.
Cis:
"Cis" is similar to trans, but it describes someone that currently identifies with the same gender they grew up as.
Non-binary (AKA enby):
Most people fall into one of two genders, "male" or "female". They are sometimes referred to as the "gender binary". "non-binary" refers to genders that are not "man/woman", or to people that are neither men nor women. It is not necessarily somewhere directly in between "man" and "woman", it means different things to different people.
Many (but not all) non-binary people use "they/them" as their pronouns. (e.g. "I talked to Jenny the other day, they have a new puppy!")
"passing":
In trans slang, to "pass" means that you fit the expectations of your gender enough that people assume the correct gender. A feminine trans woman or androgynous enby might "pass", but a gender non-conforming cis person might not for example.
gender dysphoria:
Negative feelings associated with being seen as your current/former gender(s). These can range in intensity from "barely noticeable" to extremely severe and varied secondary mental health effects. https://genderdysphoria.fyi is a good website for more information.
intersex:
This is a term to describe people whose physical sex can't be fully described as either "male" or "female". There are many different intersex conditions, and many go undetected.
gender identity:
How someone thinks of themselves, be it male, female or anything else.
gender modality:
A more recent umbrella term to describe how people came to be their current gender, and how that relates to their past. Trans, cis and intersex are all examples of gender modalities, as well as detrans and retrans (which refer to people who have made multiple major changes to their gender identity).
Trans+:
Refers to a person that is not cis. Similar to trans, but includes intersex people and those who have detransitioned (when appropriate).
gender presentation:
How someone dresses or behaves to fit in with a certain gender identity.
gender non-conforming:
This phrase describes a person whose gender presentation does not match with other people's guesses based on their gender identity. For example, a man that wears a dress may self describe as "gender non conforming".